Field of the Invention
The invention is in the field of user interfaces for eye tracking devices, particularly as applied to the control of wireless communication and other devices.
Description of the Related Art
As cellular telephones and other mobile devices have proliferated, so has the expectation that individuals will always have the option to instantly communicate with their contacts. Thus in both business and in private matters, when an individual is not able to instantly respond to at least text messages, this expectation goes unmet, and social friction and/or lost business opportunities can result. Although cell phone and text communications are often infeasible during certain times of the day, the perception remains that the only reason why the recipient of a message may not have responded is due to a deliberate desire of the recipient to ignore the message.
However the act of turning on a cell phone, scrolling through incoming text messages, and then responding to the text messages can be obtrusive, conspicuous and in some situations inappropriate. Thus there are many times when it is inadvisable or socially awkward to break off a conversation to respond to an incoming cellular phone text message. Indeed, an important client or loved one may be insulted if this occurs. Thus at present, a cell phone user is faced with the difficult problem of trying to balance priority between the environment e.g., a person they are talking to face to face, versus the person who is trying to contact them.
A similar problem can often be encountered by a disabled person who may wish, for example, to remotely control an assistive device while, at the same time, not struggle with or draw attention to the disability. Likewise, military personnel may need to discreetly control a bomb-diffusing robot, drone plane or other remote vehicle. In these examples, the user may not be able to use his or her hands, and wishes to appear as outwardly normal as possible. Thus, methods to allow an inconspicuous eye control device to manage various remote functions are of great importance. Indeed, there are many situations in life where non-disabled and non-military persons may also wish to inconspicuously eye control various types of devices as well, including using an embodiment of the eye gaze interface to operate functions of a motor vehicle, robotic arm and hands-free camera.